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Minnesota Wild: Darcy Kuemper called up while Josh Harding deals with MS medication

bgoessling@pioneerpress.com

Posted:
02/13/2013 12:01:00 AM CST

Updated:
02/13/2013 12:43:33 AM CST

Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding (37) skates off of the ice after the scrimmage at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Tuesday, January 16, 2013. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Wild called up goaltender Darcy Kuemper from Houston on Tuesday, Feb. 12, after backup goalie Josh Harding told the team the medications he was taking to fight his multiple sclerosis had him feeling "a little bit off," general manager Chuck Fletcher said.

Harding, diagnosed with the disease before the season, is still trying to find the right set of medications to fight MS and leave him feeling well enough to play. He has started three of the Wild's 12 games this season and was pulled less than seven minutes into his most recent start after giving up two goals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The goaltender would not elaborate on his symptoms other than to say they were being caused by a new medication he started taking "a couple weeks ago."

"Right now, it's day to day," Harding said. "I'm just taking every day and seeing how I feel. I have to deal with it. Coming into this, I knew it wasn't going to be the most perfect road. There's going to be some bumps in the road, for sure. There are going to be some challenges. I know things are going to get better."

Harding's last action was on Feb. 7, when he relieved Niklas Backstrom in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Fletcher said Harding hadn't been feeling well the past few days, and with Backstrom having played Monday, Feb. 11, in Calgary, the Wild felt they needed another goalie while Harding works to feel better.

"The doctors advised us of this a few weeks ago, that eventually we will get to the right spot where the medication works and his body adapts to it," Fletcher said.

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"It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, unfortunately. Every case is different. We're going to get there. We're very optimistic about that."

When Harding first told the Wild about his diagnosis, Fletcher said, the team asked him to be honest about how his condition was affecting him on a day-to-day basis.

Fletcher didn't have a timetable for when Harding might get back on the ice but said he felt comfortable enough with the organization's goaltending depth to handle things while Harding is out.

"This is not something we weren't prepared for," Fletcher said. "We like our depth. We have quality goaltenders. We're prepared to handle this. The most important thing is taking care of Josh."

Kuemper got the call over Matt Hackett, who played 12 games with the Wild last season. Kuemper, 22, had a 1.79 goals-against average in Houston, stopping 93.8 percent of the shots he faced.

Fletcher called Kuemper "the best goalie in the American (Hockey) League for the last month."

Harding, 28, signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract with the Wild in June, and it remains to be seen how his diagnosis will affect his career. Doctors have told the team and Harding that the early stages of MS can involve setbacks as patients try to find the right medication, and it's possible the goaltender will have to deal with a number of hurdles.

But he said he was "100 percent" confident he will be able to continue his career with the Wild.

"It's not like I woke up this morning and decided to tell them," Harding said. "It's been like this for a bit, and I think we all made the right choice in dealing with this right now."